Omaha daily bee., 1887-07-01
A WOMAN OF THE MINES.

No Reason, She Says, Why Ladies
Mrs. Fannie K. Kerr, who made
100000 IN mining operations IN Color
ado, is in New York. A reporter for the
Mail and Express colled on her at the
Hotel Bartholdi yesterday. Mrs. Kerr
was elegantly attred in black silk, dec
Grated with the latest Partisan dupasse-
menteries. Instead of finding a horny
handed and bronze-faced miner, the
mlncress proved to be quite handsome,
and entertainlngi in conversation. She is
about thirty five years old, has large, ex
pressive black eyes, regular features ahd
dark complexion.
Women" she SAID, are engaging in
nearly all the occupations, and do not
see why they should not try mining"
How did you come to invest in mining
property"
When was girl in Kentucky l was
very fond of reading about mines, and
often wished that | could 60 west and
see them. But my hopes and aspirations
about seeing mines were doomed to dis
appointment until seven years ago. Then
l made investments that started me in
thoroughly and showed me stern reali-
ties different from the Utopian dreams 1
once had. 1t was about the time of the
excitement in Leadville and l was resid
ing III Kansas City. Through friends
Colorado, but received no returns of the
investments until went to Denver four
years ago. settled in Denver and went
into the business generally. l bought
and sold and reinvested my money as fast
rs l received il. Sometime owned only
part of 4 claim and got my share of the
claim. One week bought claim on
Battle mountain and sold it out shortly
afterwards at profit of $4,000. A great
1oI in L., n ;,,fo ;,>
mines, but nearly all of these have hus.
bands or brothers to look after them.
studied up on mining and learned how to
look after my own interests. BY this
time have pretty good knowledge of
mining in general and cannot be misled
very easily l confess know little about
stocks, and the only mining stocks have
is 900 shares in property l took for
payment on an account"
did you 90 down into the mines and
live in the mining camps to famliarize
yourself with the busness?'
mo, | did not have to suffer any hard
ships. lived in Denver and did most of
my business there. 1t was understood
that L had money, and miners would
come to me who desired money to de-
velop their property and would sell me
an interest for few hundred dollars,
that became, when the mine was worked,
worth many thousands. l have the
greatest confidence in miners, whom l
have found to be very reliable and cour-
teous. 1t requires a deal OF faith in MN
ing, and do you know see and feel and
have that faith the miners have when
they think they are on the right track.
We help each other out West, stake
each other, and have confidence in the
integrity of each other. The result is
man may be poor, but get stake from
some one and iind himself rich within a
few months. Once | helped man out of
lawsuit at a cost of several hundred
dollars, and l was not only rewarded
by large money returns, but by his life
long gratitude. When a miner once
starts on lead he should never abandon
it. One poor tell low heard of stopped
work within five inches of rich mineral
deposit. Miners are generally men of
courage and possessed of more than the
average amount of brains, or they never
would push out and try their fortunes.
Mining is not what it was when Bret
Harte knew it. His romances are beauti-
ful and entertaining, but the railroad,
telegraph and other modern innovations
have destroyed all that idylic pictures
camps are put in the lock-ups and made
amenable to the laws. Those mining
camps in Colorado have all the modern
comforts, gas, water, books, newspapers,
pictures, banks, and, indeed, the civiliza-
ton of the east. What contrast to Ar.
kansas life, where the people live in MIS-
cradle cabins, in land of wealth still
uneXplored, for it is SAID the mineral de-
posts in that state are finer than any yet
found. Mining sharks are easily de-
tected. You can not sell worthless prop
erty except for a worthless price. You
are put through a regular catechism
when you SELL and are obliged to verify
every statement that you make, and eX.
aminations and statements must be made
by men who are known to be incorrupti-
BILE.
Have many women beside yourself
been lucky."
Yes but they are not rs numerous as
men, of course. A lady friend of mine,
while on summer trip found an out
cropping of ore on the surface and To-
Gated a claim which sold for $1,000. Min
ing for gold is fine art, for in whole
ton of earth you will probably get no
more than an ounce of gold. l know a
lady who is a fine judge of ores and re
sides in a lovely cottage with her huS-
band near some mines he owns. There is
also lady in Gunnison county, Colo,
who owns and works large mine and
gives it her personal supervision. She
has her own home, where she boards the
miners and tends them in sickness. The
weathlest woman IN Colorado, Mrs.
Bishop Illtf Warren, made her own money
in the cattle business and is now worth
$4,000, 900. hold that women have
perfect right to go into the mining busi-
ness, rs we'll as the cattle or any other
legitimate vocation"